SWCID Workforce Center Opens <\/p>\n
Monday, 27 April 2009<\/p>\n
By STEVE REAGAN <\/p>\n
Staff Writer<\/p>\n
Workfoce training students at SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the
\nDeaf will no longer have to hit the road to take classes.<\/p>\n
Friday ribbon-cutting ceremonies highlighted the opening of the new
\ntraining center on the SWCID campus which will soon be home to about
\n50 students taking trade classes.<\/p>\n
While some equipment remains to be either moved in or purchased,
\ncollege officials plan to start holding classes in welding, automobile
\nmechanics and building trades. Both practical labs and classrooms will
\nbe housed in the building.<\/p>\n
This will prove a welcome break for students who have, until now, had
\nto split time between SWCID, located on the site of the old Webb Air
\nForce Base in west Big Spring and the Howard College campus on the
\neast end of town.<\/p>\n
The $1.15 million building took about six months to complete. Money
\nfor the project was appropriated by the Texas Legislature.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re still buying equipment for the building,\u201d said Howard
\nCollege President Dr. Cheryl Sparks. \u201cBut we plan to have it fully
\noperational by the start of the fall semester.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sparks said during June groundbreaking ceremonies for the building
\nthat it is the culmination of years of planning by college officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve been working on this for more than six years,\u201d Sparks said
\nat the time. \u201cWe first submitted a request with the Legislature
\nthree sessions ago. Each session after that, we presented increasingly
\nscaled-down proposals until it was finally approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friday, Sparks said the building was a culmination of a years-long
\ncampus improvement project.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started our (master plan) project in the early 1990s, based on
\ninterest from the Texas Legislature to finance some of these
\nprograms,\u201d Sparks said. \u201cSince that time, we’ve been able to
\nrenovate some buildings and, in other cases, construct new ones …
\nthe Workforce Training Center was the last building we needed to
\ncomplete to finish our overall strategic building plan for SWCID.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials anticipate at least 50 students will take advantage of the
\ncenter’s services this next semester and Sparks hopes that number is
\nmerely the beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe now have the physical facilities in place; now, we’re going to
\nincrease our marketing efforts,\u201d Sparks said. \u201cOne of our goals is
\nthat we want to develop an adult basic education program at SWCID.
\nWe’re working with state and federal authorities to secure funds for
\nthat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail
\nat reporter@bigspringherald.com<\/p>\n
Source: http:\/\/www.bigspringherald.com\/content\/view\/167580\/60\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SWCID Workforce Center Opens Monday, 27 April 2009 By STEVE REAGAN Staff Writer Workfoce training students at SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf will no longer have to hit the road to take classes. Friday ribbon-cutting ceremonies highlighted the opening…<\/p>\n